Ostracised in Oakland?

[CDR Salamander]

Have you caught up with the Oakland Kerfuffle between the Malkin Corps and the Kossak Legions?

Marines and Soldiers Returning from Iraq not allowed into Oakland terminal. On September 27th 204 Marines and soldiers who were returning from Iraq were not allowed into the passenger terminal at Oakland International Airport. Instead they had to deplane about 400 yards away from the terminal where the extra baggage trailers were located. This was the last scheduled stop for fuel and food prior to flying to Hawaii where both were based. The trip started in Kuwait on September 26th with a rigorous search of checked and carry on baggage by US Customs. All baggage was x-rayed with a "backscatter" machine AND each bag was completely emptied and hand searched. After being searched, checked bags were marked and immediately placed in a secure container. Carry on bags were then x rayed again to ensure no contraband items were taken on the plane. While waiting for the bus to the airport, all personnel were in quarantined in a fenced area and were not allowed to leave.

Re: Marine v Ex Marine

[Soldier's Dad]

US Constitution

Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

I'd like nothing more than Mouth Murtha to get his just due. I give credit to the Federal Judge that is at least prepared to question the limits of Article 1, Section 6 of the constitution. Unfortunately, there is no speach more protected than that of a Congress Critter.

Update via Findlaw

U.S. Supreme Court HUTCHINSON v. PROXMIRE, 443 U.S. 111 (1979) Indeed, the precedents abundantly support the conclusion that a Member may be held liable for republishing defamatory [443 U.S. 111, 128] statements originally made in either House. We perceive no basis for departing from that long-established rule. Mr. Justice Story in his Commentaries, for example, explained that there was no immunity for republication of a speech first delivered in Congress:

Marine v Ex-Marine

[Greyhawk]

- Round three:

WASHINGTON - A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss a defamation case brought by a Marine from Connecticut against Rep. John P. Murtha and ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat to give a sworn deposition in the case.

Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, from Meriden, is suing the 18-term congressman for alleging "cold-blooded murder and war crimes" by unnamed soldiers in connection with the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha

Thus far charges against four Marines involved in the case have been dropped. According to the AP,

The investigating officer overseeing the Haditha case is expected to recommend soon whether Wuterich should stand trial.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer...

...did not set a date for Murtha's testimony but said she would also require him to turn over documents related to his comments.

"You're writing a very wide road for members of Congress to go to their home districts and say anything they choose about private persons and be able to do so without any liability. Are you sure you want to do that?" Collyer said, adding later, "How far can a congressman go and still be protected?"

Collyer said she was troubled by the idea that lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political careers.

It's beginning to look like Murtha is a cold blooded liar.

Hard Corps

[Wynton Hall]

Navy Cross recipient Sgt. Marco Martinez's new book, Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero, is about as gritty a book as NYC publishers will allow. The neck-breaking action comes, of course, in the combat scenes and also his portrayal of his former gang life. But you have to love this USMC bootcamp scene wherein Martinez is trying to get around the fact that he has a gang tattoo.

My interrogation would be conducted by a staff sergeant. These men knew gang tattoos like sports fans know jersey numbers. And unlike the gunny back at the MEPS, this man didn't need a reference manual. As soon as I rotated my torso to display my past, the staff sergeant instantly recognized my gang's markings.

"Are you a punk-ass gangster?" the staff sergeant demanded.

"No, sir."

"Then why the f--k do you have a gang tattoo, ass?"

"I was stupid, sir. I'm here to change my life, sir."

"Martinez, you better not f--ck up my Corps."

"Aye, sir."

I'd eked through again, but the same could not be said for the guy
right after me.

"What the f--ck is that?" I heard the staff sergeant yell. "Is that a f--cking
swastika? Get the f--k out of my office, you piece of s--t!"

A DI quickly came and escorted anti-Semite swastika boy through the doors where all the other
nonhackers went. It was at about this point that I thought I would pass out from sleep deprivation.

Love You, too, Mom... I will.

[Soldier's Mom]

My cell phone rang...

Actually, the area of my cell phone was vibrating just as we were walking into "The Kingdom" (more on that later). I was originally going to ignore the fuzzy buzzing, but as I was just inside the doorway, I looked to see who was calling. I didn't recognize the area code, but there were those last four numbers telling me it was coming through a DoD switching station. We'd become accustomed to those last four numbers when Noah and Our Guys were in Iraq the last time.

At first, there was that pause and fleeting moment of confusion 'cause, of course, Noah's not there, he's here... and just as quickly I knew it was someone calling from The Sandbox. Having had one of those calls once, my heart did a quick uptic in beats as I reversed course back out to the lobby, flipped open the phone and said, "Hello?"

The rest at Some Soldier's Mom

Legislating Historical Memory

[Soldier's Dad]

HR 52 via Library of Congress

Sec. 150. (a) Congress makes the following findings:

(1) General David H. Petraeus was confirmed by a unanimous vote of 81-0 in the Senate on January 26, 2007, to be the Commander of the Multi-National Forces--Iraq.
(2) General David H. Petraeus assumed command of the Multi-National Forces--Iraq on February 10, 2007.
(3) General David H. Petraeus previously served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command--Iraq, as the Commander of the NATO Training Mission--Iraq, and as Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during the first year of combat operations in Iraq.
(4) General David H. Petraeus has received numerous awards and distinctions during his career, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the State Department Superior Honor Award, the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, and the Gold Award of the Iraqi Order of the Date Palm.
(5) The leadership of the majority party in both the House of Representatives and the Senate implored the American people and Members of Congress early in January 2007 to listen to the generals on the ground.

Emphasis mine.

My memory must be failing.......if the Leadership of the House and Senate are prepared to give up "Surrender at any Cost" I'm prepared to give up remembering they wanted to "Surrender at any Cost".

RETURN OF THE BUCK?

[Buck Sargent]

For now, just a teaser.

More to come later.

Important Stuff!

[John of Argghhh!]

If this quote flags your interest:

Two things that were going through my mind were: Uncle Joe never went through this to bring his Luger back from the ETO, and what use was it voting for Republicans all my life if I can’t just mail a gun back from a war zone? Where are we, Canada?

Come read about it over at the Caslte, where our Man in the 'Stan (this rotation) has posted his final missive from the Box.

Move along nothing to see here - UPDATED (Bumped)

[Mrs Greyhawk]

Reuters reports Saddam Hussein was prepared to take $1 billion and go into exile before the Iraq war, according to a transcript of talks between U.S. President George W. Bush and an ally.

Also during a meeting at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, on February 22, 2003, Bush told former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar that Saddam could also be assassinated.

All this and more comes from a transcript provided by El País the most widely-circulated daily newspaper in Spain, that was was critical of the Iraq war. The transcript has not been authenticated and they have not said how it was obtained.

A spokesman for Aznar's private foundation had no comment on the transcript or its authenticity. El Pais, which was critical of the Iraq war and of Aznar's government, did not say how it obtained the transcript which it said was made by a Spanish diplomat who attended the meeting.

Ahem, everyone knows Bush gave Saddam 48 hours to leave and Katie Couric was hoping he'd escape to Syria.

Everyone knows that Saddam took $1 billion from a bank

The assasination of Saddam and all this has been discussed before.

So my real question is this really news?

No

UPDATE:

It seems this prewar memo may get twisted into something much more, but will it backfire?

I've tried to translate the El País with every free translator I can find , but get the loud thunk and an error message. However Barcepundit has more

UPDATE II: PJM has the full
translation and controversy ensues, some think this memo is cause for impeachment, others think this may well vidicate President Bush.

UPDATE III: Jules Crittenden and Flopping Aces has more .

RE: Move along nothing to see here

[Soldier's Dad]

via Google Toolbar Translation of memo of meeting between Spanish President Alznar and President Bush 24/25 February 2003

Excerpt -

PB. For me it would be the perfect solution. I do not want the war. I know what they are the wars. I know the destruction and the death that bring with himself. I am the one that she has to console to the mothers and the widows of deads. By all means, for us that would be the best solution. In addition, it would save 50,000 million to us dollars.

Nothing for folks with Bush Derangement Syndrome to see...

More Hate Crime

[Greyhawk]

We should note that this week marks an anniversary -

On September 24, 1957, President (and former General) Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne to invade a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, seize all the African-American children, drag them outside and shoot them in the street.

Or something like that.

Contest Time

[Greyhawk]

A just-on-time nominee for the Ignorant Media Putz of the Month award.

Never heard of that award? I just invented it.

So, who's this guy's competition? (I actually have one in mind, I'll see if anyone else provides the same name...)

We could have a "congressional" category also, but it would be hard to pick a "winner". I suppose we could have a "Story of the Month" category too...

Some news from Afghanistan...

[John of Argghhh!]

Over at Castle Argghhh! An update on the Kabul Cup (Go Army!) along with some advice on controlling the feral staff weenie population.

And with my current Man in the 'Stan about to redeploy, I've got another one primed and ready. Meet Mr. T's Haircut.

Re:Hate Crime

[Greyhawk]

Prolly if a military member were to shoot someone of her same race and gender who had looked the wrong way at her boyfriend it would just be murder. However, were she to shoot a foreigner that would be even worse - a hate crime. Through history, military people have killed more foreigners than anyone else in America. Anyhow, the point is, we must stop our military from commiting these hate crimes, then we can all live together in peace and love and harmony.

The power of Petraeus

[CDR Salamander]

Behold;

The leading Democratic White House hopefuls conceded Wednesday night they cannot guarantee to pull all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of the next presidential term in 2013.

"I think it's hard to project four years from now," said Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the opening moments of a campaign debate in the nation's first primary state.

"It is very difficult to know what we're going to be inheriting," added Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

"I cannot make that commitment," said former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

Truth is a funny thing. Is crow halal?

Cross posted at CDR Salamander.

Hey there fellow Bigots!

[CDR Salamander]

I guess we have all failed to live up to all the Diversity training we take. At least, that is what Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) thinks.

On the Senate floor just a few minutes ago, Kennedy said a hate crimes amendment should be attached to the defense authorization bill because members of the U.S. military commit a significant number of hate crimes.

"This amendment will strengthen the defense authorization act by protecting those who volunteer to serve in the military," Kennedy said. "The vast majority of our soldiers serve with honor and distinction…but sadly, our military bases are not immune from the violence that comes with hatred."

Kennedy listed the recent case of some soldiers ...

You can figure out the rest. That is how some of our leaders see us.

Funny thing about that - I don't think you will find a more integrated organization in the USA than the US Military; but I don't have to tell you that as we live it every day and it is something we should be proud of. Too bad our "betters" refuse to see that, though I think in the end the Senator knows that - but he sees the US Military as just a tool for him to use for domestic purposes. That is most likely a more accurate read of Sen. Kennedy's words. Either way though, it is sad.

Re: Privateers

[Grim]

Sign me up. All I ask is a Letter of Marque and Reprisal, and a star to steer her by.

Commando: On the Front Line - UPDATED

[Mrs Greyhawk]

Commando: On the Front Line is insight into the making of a Royal Marine Commando and, for the first time, follows the recruits onto the front line in Afghanistan.
Here's an opportunity for compare and contrast.

Blogger, "In Training", an American married to a Royal Marine Commando, critiques Episode 1, you can watch it at her site.

What I find intriguing is that the film-maker, Chris Terrill, didn’t just film these troops, he joined them, undergoing the same gruelling 32 weeks’ training , winning his green beret, before joining them in action. He followed the recruits to the front line in Afghanistan and right into the heat of battle.

While the other recruits wielded guns in Afghanistan, Chris stucked to shooting with his camera. “I was very excited about going to the front line. But the reality of what I was about to face really came home when I had to sit down and write what are called my ‘death letters’.

“These are letters to loved ones only to be read in the event of my being killed. Having to write to people that you love as if you’re dead is not easy and can be extremely upsetting. That’s when it hit me that this was not just another filming adventure.

“When I started going out on patrols it was a bit like being in a feature film. But when the bullets started to fly it suddenly got very, very real – especially when they whizzed past your ears.

Chris talks more about his grueling training here

The training was even more hellish than I expected: high rope climbing; abseiling; speed marching; “yomping”; lung-bursting underwater swimming; soul-destroying assault courses; and close quarter combat lessons that taught us how to tear windpipes out of throats and rip genitals from between men’s legs. This was in addition to increasingly demanding survival exercises in extreme conditions with limited rations and even more limited sleep. It was relentless and unforgiving: most of us were injured – many badly enough to have to leave. Some never came back. I got off lightly with a dislocated finger, a ruptured tendon in my left bicep and a rotator cuff and clavicle so badly inflamed that I have since had to have surgery. The fruit of my efforts and pain? Well, I am proud to say I won my green beret, now my most prized possession, but I would not have done so if I had trained in isolation. I only managed it because I became part of a band of brothers who willed me on, as I did them.

If Hollywoods types would undergo the rigorous training with our American troops or had the fortitude to spend just a small bit of time with them on the frontlines, we wouldn't have such trash in our theaters. But I suspect that would impede on their ugly anti-military, anti-American smear campaign.

Update: Uncle Jimbo has more

Calling all privateers

[Lex]

Over at the "End of Empire" blog, Adeodatus is thinking about privatizing certain naval roles and missions.

Me? I'm sensing a business opportunity.

Strike a blow for FREEEEEDOOOOOM!

[John of Argghhh!]

By dissing the Marines.

Here's a classy story of personal politics potentially infecting the decisions of public servants - San Francisco Film Commission Executive Director Stefanie Coyote denied a film crew permission to film for a Marine commercial "If there were any military personnel present." Ms. Coyote's rather tart response when questioned initially was "It's a traffic control issue." SF Police Captain Greg Corrales, the former Marine who commands the citiy's Traffic Bureau said, "That's bunk." USA Today has queried her further and will post her response when she does so. I suppose the most charitable logic is that the presence of armed, uniformed Marines, in the form of the USMC Silent Drill Team, would so incite the peaceful residents of San Francisco that they would all roller-blade, bike, and Prius their way to the site to engage in peaceful protest of such savage martial imagery in their city... Heh. H/t, 1SG Keith.

The Long Road Home

[Soldier's Dad]

via Bloomberg

Clinton said she couldn't promise to bring all U.S. troops home in her first term if she is elected president. ``I don't know what I'm going to inherit,'' Clinton said on ABC. ``I don't know and neither do any of us know what will be the situation in the region.''

I would certainly hope the killing stops soon...but it is going to be a long time before the Iraqi Military is in a position to defend its borders. A couple of C-130's and a handful of helicopters and Cessnas isn't exactly an AirForce.

Warning, Warning Warning!

[Mrs Greyhawk]

Not work friendly and language runs afoul.

But I love his assesment

This just in - NYT biased!

[John of Argghhh!]

And, man bites dog, etc.

I just posted (and bloviated, you're warned) on my email exchange with Dan Froomkin, regarding his piece in the Washington Post, where he jumped on the "milbloggers are sycophants" bandwagon.

I posted this late, because it took Mr. Froomkin some time to answer my email.

Give him credit - he responded!

Fighting Words!

[Eagle1]

From this:

A "glass is half full guy" won the day and shouted some famous words.

228 years ago.

The words live on.

As set out here.

Isn't it rich? Isn't it queer?

[Soldier's Mom]

Well, of course there's more at Some Soldier's Mom

Journalism for Dummy's

[Soldier's Dad]

via SeattleTimes

Opening paragraph

Search-and-rescue crews have found a hiker who has been missing since last weekend.

Closing paragraph

Whatcom and Skagit County deputies are aiding rangers from the National Park Service in the search, Shilling said.

When facts on the ground change...sometimes the entire article needs to be rewritten in light of new facts.

MacBeth - The Final Chapter

[Soldier's Dad]

via Seattle Times

A Tacoma man who falsely claimed he was a decorated war hero when he took the stage at demonstrations held in opposition to the U.S.'s role in Iraq was sentenced this morning to five months in prison in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

Conservative bloggers exposed MacBeth in May 2006, destroying his credibility and embarrassing the Seattle company that produced the video about his exploits.

On June 7, MacBeth pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. MacBeth admitted that he filed a bogus claim for VA benefits in 2005, which included a fraudulent military-discharge form.

MacBeth spent 44 days as a private at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2003, but was released "for issues related to entry-level performance and conduct," according to court papers.

So much for another 'Hero' of the left.

The War at Home

[Greyhawk]

Via Rusty Shackleford:

Widow of Luke pilot lashes out at media

Days after an al-Qaida-linked group released a video showing the body of a Luke Air Force Base fighter pilot killed in Iraq last year, his widow lashed out at the national media, accusing it of politicizing and using the images to erode public support for the war.

Ginger Gilbert, making her first public comments since the video emerged last week, said Tuesday that she couldn't remain silent after watching media coverage of a "disturbing video" of the corpse, identification card and crash site of her husband, Maj. Troy Gilbert.

"When media chooses to use Troy's plane crash as a political catalyst to generate anti-war sentiment, it only serves to degrade the moral integrity my husband possessed and the morale of those still selflessly serving," Gilbert said at news conference at Glendale's Falcon Dunes Golf Course, across from Luke.

"Every time the press lends credibility and significance to terrorist propaganda clearly designed to erode public support or questions the validity of our brave soldiers' selfless acts of service and the war itself," she added, "it only serves to damage our country from within its own borders and embolden those who would do us harm."

Rusty says:

The general theme of the video is that the reason Troy Gilbert and other Americans are dead is because of Bush's "deceit". "Why was Gilbert killed?", a masked man on the video asks, "And the reason is Bush!".

Additional thoughts on this later, time permitting, but for now, ladies and gentlemen, al Qaeda's "Working Paper for a Media Invasion of America" was first exposed here. Followup reports are here and here.

(Tell your friends.)

YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

[Soldier's Mom]

They Do It For The Money

[Soldier's Mom]

Just one more case of the hypocrisy of the left...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale Law School will end its policy of not working with military recruiters following a court ruling this week that jeopardized about $300 million in federal funding, school officials said Wednesday.

Yale and other universities had objected to the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that allows gay men and women to serve in the military only if they keep their sexual orientation to themselves. Yale Law School had refused to assist military recruiters because the Pentagon wouldn't sign a nondiscrimination pledge.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Yale on Monday, rejecting its argument that its right to academic freedom was infringed by federal law that says universities must give the military the same access as other job recruiters or forfeit federal money.

and then this

"The fact is we have been forced under enormous pressure to acquiescence in a policy that we believe is deeply offensive and harmful to our students," said Robert Burt, a Yale law professor who was lead plaintiff in the case.

But you'll take the money?

The whole thing HERE

RE: Iranian-Syrian WMD

[GIKorea]

Two weeks ago an Israeli airstrike on Syria that destroyed nuclear material acquired from North Korea were first reported. Now the likelihood of this story has grown substantially with more details of the strike becoming known:

IT was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is crossed the Syrian coast-line. On the ground, Syria’s formidable air defences went dead. An audacious raid on a Syrian target 50 miles from the Iraqi border was under way.

At a rendezvous point on the ground, a Shaldag air force commando team was waiting to direct their laser beams at the target for the approaching jets. The team had arrived a day earlier, taking up position near a large underground depot. Soon the bunkers were in flames.

Ten days after the jets reached home, their mission was the focus of intense speculation this weekend amid claims that Israel believed it had destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea.

You have to read this entire article because it offers fascinating details about the Israeli strike and the Syrian acquisition of North Korean nuclear technology. The article claims the strike happened 50 miles up the Euphrates River from Iraq. On my site I posted some Google Earth images of some possible areas for the facility that was struck. It is not just Syria that the North Koreans have been aiding with their nuclear program. In July the first reports came out of North Korean engineers constructing tunnel complexes for Iran's nuclear program. Anyone that has served in Korea can tell you the North Koreans are master engineers of tunnels with the multiple tunnels that have been discovered underneath the DMZ. I have Google Earthed the North Korean tunnel complex in Iran as well.

Re: Pigs Flying -- See a pattern here?

[Soldier's Mom]

Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate that General David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq, deserves the full support of the Senate and strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces. (full text after the jump)

NAYs ---25
Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3

Biden (D-DE)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)

And the esteemed Sen. Kerry, today talking about the Reid/Levin Amendment that would require the near-immediate surrender withdrawal of troops from Iraq, said that the current situation in Iraq was "like playing baseball without a bat"... well, John... better than playing without balls... [apologies to those easily offended].

x-posted at Some Soldier's Mom

CBO Cooking the Books

[Soldier's Dad]

via Congressional Budget Office(pdf)

Under the combat scenario that CBO considered, the United States would maintain a long-term presence of approximately 55,000 military personnel in Iraq, deploying military units and their associated personnel there for specific periods and then returning them to their permanent bases either in the United States or overseas. The scenario also incorporates the assumption that units deployed to Iraq would operate at the same pace and conduct the same types of missions as the forces currently deployed there. In CBO’s estimation, this scenario could have one-time costs of $4 billion to $8 billion and annual costs of approximately $25 billion.

(emphasis mine)

Pigs Fly Again

[Soldier's Dad]

via AP

The Senate voted Thursday to condemn an advertisement by the liberal anti-war group MoveOn.org that accused the top military commander in Iraq of betrayal.

The 72-25 vote condemned the full-page ad that appeared in The New York Times last week as Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, testified on Capitol Hill. The ad was headlined: "General Petraeus or General Betray Us? Cooking the books for the White House."

Voting against it were Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut.

A sad day in the cesspool of MoveOn

via CBS

The Senate blocked legislation Thursday that would have cut off money for combat in Iraq by June. It was a predictable defeat for Democrats struggling to pass less divisive anti-war measures.

The 28-70 vote was 32 short of the 60 needed to cut off a GOP filibuster. The legislation, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Russ Feingold, was indicative of the Democratic leadership's new hardline strategy.

I would note it was 23 short of simple passage. I guess all those anti-war protestors really influenced the Senate.

Fewer dollars, more sense...

[Greyhawk]

Okay, by way of amends for my previous bit of smartassery, here's some food for thought.

(Via Abu Muqawama.)

who knew?

[Greyhawk]

A Fireman is one of the 400 richest Americans.

I'm in the wrong line of work...

Thucydides (or "The Butler did it")

[Greyhawk]

"The nation that will insist on drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking done by cowards."

Hmmmm... can we find room on the masthead for that, Mrs G?

And I believe Will was in error, the credit goes to Butler. (I think I'll order that book, Chap...)

Iranian-Syrian WMD

[Soldier's Mom]

hmmm... I don't recall seeing anything on the nightly news... not even a hint that someone was "investigating the claim"...

Proof of cooperation between Iran and Syria in the proliferation and development of weapons of mass destruction was brought to light Monday in Jane's Defence Weekly, which reported that dozens of Iranian engineers and 15 Syrian officers were killed in a July 23 accident in Syria.

From the Jerusalem Post Not having a current subscription to JDW I can' tll you what the rest of the article might say... perhaps someone else can add on?

And anyone still interested in negotiating with this nut case?

For the Record

[Greyhawk]

Slate's "Explainer" David Sessions, answers your question about the news. Today he set out to debunk John McCain:

Yesterday, John McCain told supporters in Iowa that U.S. soldiers are "carrying 40 pounds of body armor in 130-degree temperatures."

For reasons unknown, it's important to him to prove McCain is wrong about that temperature claim. He cites climate records from the US Air Force...

...the highest temperature ever recorded in Asia is 124 degrees—in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. So, how hot does it really get in Iraq?

The temperature never breaks 130 degrees, according to official climate records. A 2007 Air Force Weather Agency report on Iraq's summer weather also marks the record at 124 degrees, with mean highs for July and August at 110 degrees. And Iraq is always dry, so the heat index won't be much higher than the actual temperature.

That's right - but Sessions is wrong.

Jeff Emmanuel waves a BS flag, arguing (as near as I can tell) that

a. Humidity is sufficient to cause a heat index higher than the temperature
and
b.

"A soldier in 40-50 lbs of armor AND ammo AND long sleeves and pants AND helmet AND gloves AND knee pads AND boots who is carrying a rifle AND carrying 10 lbs of water IS "a solid object." Furthermore, said soldier DOES operate on "heat-conducting surfaces like sand, concrete, or asphalt," NOT "in a ventilated location" -- oh, and is either standing or moving while doing so, as well."

The effective temperature to a soldier here is much more like 145-150 degrees during the peak of summer -- not 130 or 124.

which, like the climatological data, is also right. But in fairness, McCain didn't say the weight of the armor makes it seem like the temperature is 130 degrees, he said it was 130 before the armor went on. Likewise, he wasn't talking about a "heat index".

There's also a discussion of cheap thermometers poorly placed, yadda yadda yadda. Disregard that for now, while I provide the actual solution, and make left and right happy in this instance and we can all go forward and live together as one, in harmony. It's a simple explanation, trust me on this one...

Official temperature is taken IN THE SHADE, using very damned expensive equipment. Official temperatures for Baghdad (taken by US Air Force meteorologists at the Airport in the shade) in late July and early August peak in the late afternoon between 115-120 EVERY DAY - IN THE SHADE. The record temperature in the shade is indeed 124 degrees. Now that September is here it's a bit more variable, highs ranging from as low as 102 to about 108 over the past week or two. In the early morning hours we shiver as the temperatures plunge into the upper 70s.

Did I mention the shade part? Out in the desert or the middle of a city in the direct sunlight in July? Or in the back of a closed vehicle or an aircraft? There it's really hot, and 130 on a cool day, maybe.

But here's what I call hot: when you step out of a porta potty after a 5 minute visit into the direct sunlight of a July afternoon in Iraq and think "gosh it's nice and cool out here" - then you know that inside that porta potty was the HOTTEST EFFING PLACE ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.

Anyhow, in case I wasn't clear, Jeff is right in saying Slate's "Explainer" is wrong - but now you know the rest of the story.

Like I said, trust me on this one. (Stupid people will argue, folks who know me will laugh...)

A final thought: 120 degrees is HOT. Wear armor and run a few miles in it and we can talk about hot. In fact, 110 is HOT. Hell, three days of temperatures around 100 in any city in America will kill a certain percentage of the popultion. Still, if anyone can explain why it's so important to prove that soldiers aren't really experiencing anything hotter than 120, be my guest. Maybe that's a question best left to the Explainer.

And another update:

UPDATE: As much as I hate adding to something after claiming "a final thought" - it just occured to me that maybe, just maybe, this is a lesson in why one shouldn't attempt to draw conclusions from studies of Iraq done in America based purely on statistics...

Typical Iraqi war vet

[CDR Salamander]

This is ALMOST enough to make me a Nebraska fan .... almost.

Tyrone Fahie (pronounced FOY) joined the Nebraska program this winter after six years on active duty with the U.S. Military. In the last three years, Fahie has completed two tours in Iraq, where he worked for Seal Team One as a support communicator. Fahie earned a spot on the roster through the Huskers’ walk-on tryouts before spring practice.

Fahie will be a redshirt freshman for the Huskers this fall and will line up at defensive end, where he is listed as a reserve at base end. Fahie capped a solid spring practice by making three tackles in the Red-White contest.

When does he get his MSM interview?

Redeploying To The Elevator?

[Chap]

Ladies and gentlemen, Congressman Murtha.

Re: Thucydides

[Chap]

That excellent quote reminds me of a less pithy but no less evocative paragraph in COL Matthew Bogdanos' excellent book. But the quote might not have been from Thucydides.

Because I typed in a long quote, I've put the answer here.

Re: The Civil-Military Divide

[Soldier's Dad]

via MSNBC

Spartan king quoted by Thucydides: "The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools."

One would think history gets taught at Columbia...but then one could think wrong.

The Civ-Mil Divide Con't

[CDR Salamander]

So, you get accepted to the Severn School for Wayward Boys & Girls. You come from a smart, successful family. You hope for their understanding and support. Oops.

Soon that pride turned to anger and fear: after my mom dropped him off at Annapolis, she came home with an acute sense of grief. The only thing she could talk about was how to get him out. In addition to missing his presence at home, she was scared by the extent to which her son had suddenly become the property of the U.S. Navy.
 ... he had signed that oath after he had been yelled at all day and that his hair had just been shaven off during his first day there, (a LT at Annapolis) comforted me (when i complained) that John was not at all forced to sign the oath.
...
The reality of sending my brother to the Naval Academy began to set in: this was not a school; this was the military. ... let it be known: the U.S. Naval Academy is not an elite college; it is first and foremost a branch of the U.S. military ...

...and water is wet.

After all that, the MIDN is still at Annapolis. Bravo Zulu to him - I think he will do just fine - Parents Day should be a hoot though....

Happy Birthday USAF

[Mrs Greyhawk]

The Further Adventures of Some

[Greyhawk]

Congress should look at cutting off funding for the Iraq war if Senate efforts to change the role of U.S. troops in the battlefield fail, Sen. Ken Salazar said today. <...> While in Iraq over the weekend, Salazar said, some servicemen and women told him that they wanted Congress to cut off funding.

That might be true. Likewise, if he asked around enough, he'd probably discover "some servicemen and women " who would like to have sex with him in a public toilet. That doesn't make it a good idea.

Success in Iraq

[Mrs Greyhawk]

Badger Six of Badgers Forward is extending his stay in Iraq by ten months. His unit is going home, he's moving on to a new assignment in theater. I think he'll find things to write about.

For months now he and Teflon Don at Acute Politics have been telling us of progress in Ramadi. It's been awesome, and I think Michael Tottens' recent posts (The Battle of Ramadi and Hell is Over) make a nice compliment to their efforts as their part in the story concludes, and stand as a tribute to the men and women from America and Iraq that made this happen. Even if you haven't participated in these events, you'll find a few things that will make you damn proud to be an American.

And guess what? - That's okay.

Meanwhile, the battle rages in the belts, and Baghdad boils. If I didn't know about what's happened in Anbar - and I wouldn't without my fellow milbloggers - I might think it wasn't worth fighting.

Standing in the Gardens of Stone (part 3)

[Greyhawk]

(part one here - but this episode is a stand-alone, so feel free to jump right on in...)

Another Sunday Morning Coming Down

Well, I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head that didn't hurt.
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad,
So I had one more for dessert.
Then I fumbled in my closet through my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt.
Then I washed my face and combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day.
-- Johnny Cash, Sunday Morning Coming Down

*****

My Sunday morning wasn't like that. I did get up and have breakfast - but I passed on the NA beer. Afterwards I wandered over to the barbershop and pulled my number (68). I already knew about how long that wait would be - the day before I had tried and failed.

On that previous attempt I'd pulled my number then wandered around the area for a bit. I realized I had no cash in my pocket so I hit the px. Picked up something small so I could get cash back at the checkout. The line wrapped around two walls of the store - I figured I was going to miss my chance for a haircut, but since I couldn't get one without the cash I waited and made it through the line. Fortunately, the "No Cash Back at this time" sign wasn't on display at the register (it usually is) so I scored a 20 - the max.

Then I wandered back to the barber shop. They were nowhere near my number, so I wandered over to the Internet cafe. The computers were all full, and the waiting list was 12 people long. So I wandered on back over to the barbershop. It had been an hour since I pulled my number (68) and they were up to number 48. But my time was up.

But anyhow - back to Sunday. Sunday mornings for me are slow - I can sleep in til about 8 then take my time getting things done, laundry, room cleaning, etc. I got up and went to breakfast. Afterwards I wandered over to the barbershop and pulled my number (78). I knew I had at least an hour before I needed to come back for a progress check, so I headed for the showers. They were closed for cleaning. So I modified my strategy on the fly, wandered back to the hooch (we only had to stay in tents for the first 4 months here) and picked up my laundry, took it to the KBR laundry facility, filled out the paperwork, and headed back to the barbershop.

Those actions described now brought my cumulative walking distance to about 2 miles of foot travel on four inches of gravel (try it sometime!), and the sun was edging higher in the sky. One hour after pulling my number I asked some of the guys in the cluster waiting outside the door what number they were up to. "70" was the reply. I had 78 - almost there. And you won't believe it but the day got even better - there was a chair available in the waiting area. Another half hour and I was in the actual barber chair. Five minutes later my hair was cut.

You're probably thinking to yourself, "wow - that's more good fortune than any GI could have in Iraq in one day" - and you're right.

Went back to the hooch, grabbed my stuff, and headed for the showers. The cleaning crew was done, the faucets were shining, and in I went. I turned the water on and nothing came out of the spigot. No water, so no shower today - but I did have a spiffy new hair cut. To finish the full squared-away look I'm required to cultivate by regulation and years of habit I pulled my triple bladed razor from my shaving kit and ran it across my face and neck - sans water and shaving cream and lubricated only by a thin layer of rapidly-drying sweat. Back to my hooch to put my uniform on (up til now I'd been wandering around in PT gear with a shoulder-holstered 9, a look that is common only here) and then I took the mile walk to work. By the time I got there I was sweating enough that I could convince myself the effects of the shower would have worn off by then anyway.

So anyhow, along the way, for some reason, I started whistling "Sunday Morning Coming Down."

*****

Got an email picture of my wife with another guy today.

It was President Bush.

I'm jealous.

Of him.

I said as much to Bill Roggio. "How can you be jealous?" He replied. "He's got the most thankless job in the world."

"He had his picture taken with my wife" I replied.

But the President and I both got to chat with Bill over the weekend.

*****

GIs bitch (See above). It's the nature of the job. When you actually do have one of the most thankless tasks in the world you get the right to do that. Give one a chance and he'll (or she'll) tell you everything that's wrong with their world, their rater, their commander, their first sergeant, the General, their branch of service, their deployed location, their home station, Iraq, Afghanistan, America, congress, the President, war, peace, food, and their favorite football team's current strategy. (Regardless of current won-loss record.)

So last time I crossed paths with the re-enlistment NCO I recognized him as someone who would have insight as to how much that matters.

"How's business?" I asked. "Good", he replied.

"No problems?" I prodded.

"Well, yeah. I've got to convince people to wait and reenlist next month instead of this one. I've already met my goal for this fiscal year."

A lot of people think it's the cash bonuses, but really it's the free food and cheap haircuts, I'm sure.

Enlistments are looking good too. Small wonder the IVAW crowd is planning an attack.

*****

So yeah, President Bush and I have something else in common - we both chatted with Bill Roggio over the weekend. I picked up Bill from MND-C headquarters and took him off for a GI tour of Camp Victory.

Fortunately, this didn't happen to us:

Coalition Forces attacked at Camp Victory

Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO

BAGHDAD – One third-country national was killed and eleven Coalition Forces members were wounded Sept. 12 in an indirect fire attack on Camp Victory.

The incident is under investigation.

Indirect fire means rockets or mortars, by the way.

Anyhow, I showed him the BIG PX with all the obscene amenities, then the Iraqi Bazaar with the memorial to the Iraqis who worked there who've been killed. After that, lunch at the DFAC - we both had the made-to-order stir fry with everything. Then to the DVD store - Bill bought 300. Not 300 DVDs, the movie 300. I got 3:10 to Yuma (meh). Guess we were all about the threes. Afterwards I drove him "home" - he had a flight to catch to elsewhere for a day or two.

He's a good guy. Can't wait to have a beer with him some time down the road.

*****

Don't know what might come of it, but I will tell you he set off looking into this story that everyone else has missed:

Major General Lynch: Just over two weeks ago, soldiers from our 3rd Brigade Combat Team conducted a raid on a militant house in the town of Nahrawan, which is about 20 miles east of Baghdad on the east side of the Tigris River. They arrested one of our division's most valued targets, high-value targets, and he acted as a link between Iran and the Jaish al- Mahdi militia. He was the main Shi'a conduit in that region for getting Iranian EFPs and rockets into Baghdad, and his capture was a big blow to that network.

When we found him, we also discovered an insurgent video they were making that showed 46 Iranian rockets lined up to be fired at one of our U.S. forward operating bases. In fact, some of those rockets shown in the video actually fired and hit some of our bases on the 11th of July, killed one of my soldiers and wounded 15 others.
<...>
And this -- as I talked about the attack on FOB Hammer, there were 46 Iranian rockets lined up with Iranian timers to kill my soldiers out on FOB Hammer. And luckily, a great UAV operator was flying his UAV around, he saw those Iranian rockets, he turned to his leaders and said, "Hey, I think we got this problem." A leader sent ground forces out there, and bigger than Dallas, there's the rockets, and we were able to disconnect those rockets before they fired.
<...>
We're also bolstering the government of Iraq's efforts along the Iranian border. My soldiers are working with the Iraqi border security force, training them and helping them. There is one point of entry into Iraq from the Wasat province -- into the Wasat province, and Iraqi border forces check trucks making that crossing. In the near future, 2,000 Republic of Georgia soldiers will secure six checkpoints, allowing us to thoroughly inspect every truck crossing along the main westbound route towards Baghdad. So every truck that comes into the Wasat province, from Iran into Iraq, will be stopped and searched in total by these great soldiers from Georgia.

Of course, had all 46 of those rockets gone off, you'd have damn well heard about it. But they didn't, so no win for the bad guys, no news in the papers, and no one but Bill tracking the story down.

*****

Want some understanding of President Bush's references to his father's service in WWII and our current warm relationship with Japan? Read Flyboys by Flags of Our Fathers author James Bradley. The parallels with today's war are obvious.

I only mention that because it's a topic that came up at the milbloggers' meeting with President Bush, last week, and it seems to be one that a lot of the ultra-Leftists are obsessed with.

*****

I'm pretty damn proud of the lady who's very quietly done more work than anyone in history to bring the voices of deployed troops to the people they serve. (And very quietly done a lot for the wounded troops, too.)

And I thought this was a good quote from the President (bold emphasis added) - thanks, Mrs G!:

I really did not have a question for the President anyway but wanted to comment that reading hundreds of milblogs every morning, that the troops are stating the same things that General Petraeus conveyed during his report and that I found it appalling how he was treated by congress and how he was accused of "cooking the books". That the troops see the progress and the reduction in violence in most areas and General Petraeus passed on their thoughts honestly. The president was adamant when he said, "I will do everything in my power to support the troops and their families” and I believe he means it.

He did express that he was very upset with the Move-On.org ad. If anyone should be attacked, it should be him, it is his policy, Petraeus was only giving the report they asked for. When he became President he knew what he was getting into, "I don't mind people attacking me . . . that's politics . . . but I do mind people impugning the integrity of our generals." He also said that he did not want to bash the media, that is when I said “that's what we were here for, to correct them when they have facts wrong and keep them in line”, my only line in the meeting. Not really the one I wanted to leave with, but oh well.

There's a lot more impugning of integrity going on in the aftermath of that. And it's not directed at Generals.

I guess that's what you earn when you wh*re-blog for a corrupt regime.

Hope it was worth it, Ms Greyhawk. People are dying and getting maimed in part because of your work.

That would be a comment at the Washington Post, by someone called phoebes1, inspired by someone named Dan Froomkin...

*****

The Mrs couldn't stick around DC to watch the anti-war protests last weekend - she had to leave right after the meeting to make it home in time to help with the unit fund raiser. Via email:

Did get back very late, constant flight delays that caused missing other flights, wound up sitting on a plane for 3 hours on the tarmac. Was not pleasant. I also got to be one of the lucky random people pulled aside for a thorough body pat and baggage search. My 5'1 and 3/4" frame must have looked ominous to them ;-)

Got home at 2:45am then got up at 4:30am to help out with unit fund raiser, which was successful. Haven't got total $ made yet, but I think we did well.

I'm not certain, but I expect the funds raised will go towards the Christmas Party. Since most of their husbands will be in Iraq it shouldn't cost too much this year.

*****

Speaking of thankless jobs, Bill...

Over at a blog called Sadly No, they really don't like you: "Bill Roggio at The Long Pig War Journal…well, let’s let Big Boy Jammies report it" - which they didn't.

At the Washington Post, Dan Froomkin really, really didn't like anyone...

Bush didn't have to go out of his way on Friday to endear himself to his guests, who had been screened for sycophancy.

And as their ensuing blog posts make clear, they lapped up even his most timeworn talking points and hoariest stories.

But then, he can't even avoid counting the total number of hours the President has spent in Iraq and then making fun of the bases where he spent them..

During his most recent trip, two weeks ago, Bush was on the ground for seven hours, never leaving the confines of a military base known as Camp Cupcake, a heavily fortified American outpost for 10,000 troops with a 13-mile perimeter.

Actually that was al Asad Airbase in Anbar - good to know that one is so safe they call it Cupcake. Can't wait 'til my post is that sweet.

Froomkin inspired a host of Post readers (like the lovely and witty phoebes1) to go off the deep end - the editors, publisher, and fellow "journalists" must be proud.

If you want to really plumb the depths of the Toilets on the Left-Wing Information Sewer, try the comments at Think Progress.

At least the Columbia Journalism Review liked the Bills.

Now, bloggers aren’t New York Times reporters...

In case we needed a reminder, this is why the blogworld is not yet a viable substitute for actual journalism.

It should be noted that Bill Roggio and Bill Ardolino, two bloggers who joined by teleconference from Iraq, are conspicuous for the substantive reports they delivered of the meeting, and seem to be the only attendees who weren’t carried away by the atmospherics of the event.

Actually, none of the bloggers were carried away by the atmospherics - they simply noted said atmospherics as part of a full report. But those who would feed the ignorati simply chose not to cut and paste anything beyond that from the meeting. If any of them were to examine the actual questions those bloggers had for President Bush, they'd notice a theme...

“…With the current blurring of the lines between domestic politics and foreign policy, and the unwillingness of the American people to fight the current war, how do you get the American public to support the current and future conflicts?”

"Mr. President - you talk about and clearly believe in the "Long War" and that it's the President's job to see "over the horizon" and beyond the next Gallup Poll. How are you going to set the conditions so that your successor will continue the fight - regardless of who wins the election?"

"after watching the original 9-11 "Today Show" broadcast in real time and that the experience had left him, wondering whether his petition to the nation had been strong enough in terms of calling citizens to duty?

In short, what matters to milbloggers is public support to the war they completely understand, and in which they are very much involved.

I can’t remember exactly what I asked the President because I was choking up having just mentioned my good friend SSG Stevon Booker who died in front of me in Iraq.

The WaPo readers got a good chuckle out of that quote. But if you are far, far, removed from the reality of the war on terror - say, if you're a "columnist" or "blogger" interested only in the political gain you can get from a war (for instance, you use "conservative blogger" as interchangeable with "milblogger" in your report of a White House visit by an Iraq vet, the wife of a guy currently serving in Iraq, a citizen of Baghdad, four